After two seasons in the red, Barcelona ended the 2011/12 season with a record surplus of 48.8 million euros, according to economic vice-president Javier Faus
Last season, Barcelona saw revenue increase to 494.9 million euros (21.5 more than the previous year) Expenses were 441.1 million, a reduction of 30 million euros from the 2010/11 season.
As a result, Barca were able to pay down part of their huge debt. The clubs debt is now 335 million, down from 420 million two years ago.
What is impressive about Barcelona’s numbers is that they have been able to cut into their debt without being forced to sell any of their players. They actually bought two stars last summer, Fabregas and Sanchez, but by cutting 31.5 million in expenses they were able to strengthen both on an off the field.
But of that 31.5 million Barca saved came from not having to pay bonuses this season for winning La Liga or the Champions League.
if the team had won the Liga the Club would have had to pay out 12 million euros in bonuses.
“If we had won the Liga the overall surplus would have been 36 million euros and it still would have been the best end-of-year figure in the history of the Club,” Faus said after noting that “it’s not true that Barça saved itself 50 million euros for not winning the Liga.”
With Barca’s focus on bringing down is debt, don’t expect them to be big players in the transfer market this season. They have added Jordi Alba from Valencia for 14 million euros and that might be all the buying that they do.
There persists rumors that Barcelona and Santos have reached an agreement that Neymar will join the Catalan in 2014 in 2014 and that Barcelona have been paying the transfer fee over time, something akin to a layaway! If that is true, then expect Barcelona to be pretty quiet in the transfer market next season also.
